Hi everyone! This week I will be blogging on the second part of my exploratory trip to Johor Bahru (“JB”) courtesy of Firefly Airlines. First and foremost thank you for all readers especially those who left comments in AzuanZahdi.com, Firefly’s Blog and Firefly’s Facebook Page!

Your opinions matters to me and I will definitely give the places suggested by all of you a try on my next JHB trip! In the meantime enjoy Part 2 of Azuan Zahdi’s Explore the Backyard of Johor Bahru.

For those who missed my Part 1 review of the trip to JB, click here to revisit the blog post.

After a long and tiring day 1, the first thing that I need after waking up was a good breakfast meal. Skipping the usual boring hotel breakfast, I jumped into the car and went straight to get a Johorian breakfast.

Introducing Kacang Phool, an Arabic dish well known in JB. Kacang pool is foul beans cooked with beef and spices, garnish with green chillies, onions , lime and a sunny side up served with bread.

You can easily find this in many places in JB but my favorite spots are the ones at a food court next to Fire station in Larkin and also in Plaza Larkin. Too bad that I left my camera in the hotel for battery re-charging and have to settle for only one photo using my camera phone.

After a delicious breakfast and a refreshing shower, I started my day 2 tour by visiting the Royal Sultan Abu Bakar Museum.

Built in 1866, this museum showcases the history and collection related to the royal family of Johor. I am the type of person that is very bad with history lessons but this museum certainly sparked my interest to know more about the Johor royal family.

The tickets

Previously a palace, it became the Royal Abu Bakar Museum in 1982, but today, it is still used for state ceremonies and official functions. The museum has a strict “No Photography” policy and is guarded by armed personnel.

 It was worth spending few Ringgit and having a first hand look at the history and exhibits. My personal favorite must have been the The Hunting Room of the Royal family. Really cool stuff!

An interesting note to point out about the Museum is the well-maintained garden surrounding the area which makes it a great place for photography as well as morning and evening jog.

A couple of miles away from the Museum is another great place for photography which is the Masjid Sultan Abu Bakar or Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque.

Built in between 1892 and 1900, this beautiful mosque has always been one of the most significant icons of Johor Bahru. Being the center of Islamic activities in the city of JB, this mosque is also well known for its unique architecture largely based on Moorish styles, along with some Malay influence.

 In the spirit of 1Malaysia, it is a common sight to see non-Muslims doing pre-wedding photo shoot outside the Mosque.

Just right next to Masjid Abu Bakar is the Johor Zoo!

While it is smaller than the National Zoo, Johor Zoo has its own appeal. It is less crowded, less walking as the attractions are next to each other and in my opinion the animals are closer to the visitors (maybe it was just my wild imagination!).

Johor Zoo is definitely a must visit for families with small kids. Due to time constraint I only managed to do a quick stop at the zoo before moving to my next destination.

The Johor Bahru Art Gallery.

The gallery was a big disappointment. There are nice artwork masterpieces being displayed that captured the beautiful scenery of Johor, historical timeline of Johor, past state leaders and heroes and important events but the building itself was in a bad shape.

A nice piece of art outside the gallery, unfortunately not being properly maintained. .

I am sure if this gallery is maintained in a professional manner it will attract lots of art enthusiasts from all corners of the world.

Throughout my 1-hour in the gallery, I was alone with my wife and nobody bothered to attend to us except the moment when I took out my camera inside the gallery when I can finally heard a voice saying “No Camera please”. What a waste.

It was then makan time one again, and I had planned for lunch to be the famous Mee Rebus Tulang JB style!

Introducing Restoran ZZ, a well known eatery amongst Johorians, Singaporeans and some say Batam.

The singnature dish, Mee Rebus Tulang.Imagine the normal mee rebus with thick gravy, filled with yummy tulang,

Straw is included free of charge

For less than RM10 you can get a plate of this Mee Rebus Tulang with a refreshing glass of fruit juice.

Right after lunch, the weather was getting hotter and I settled down for some shopping.

Just like KL and Penang, JB has a wide array of shopping malls catering for different levels of shoppers.

I went to City Square JB for a quick window shopping.

Followed by a trip to The Zon in Stulang. I have to point out that this area is interesting because of two things. One is the duty free shopping in the shopping mall due to the fact that it’s located at the ferry terminal connecting JB to islands in Indonesia. A good place to buy chocolates, tobacco and alcohol. It is also a happening place at night, with many clubs and drinking spots within the area that remain opens until late night.

After entertaining my other half doing shopping at the two malls, I had the urge to taste more unique JB food.

A common snack in JB; Tempe Goreng and Pisang Goreng with Sambal Kicap (can someone translate this?!)

You can find this everywhere in JB especially during tea time. Have it with a cup of coffee or tea and it will definitely make your day.

As the day came to a close, I made my way to the old part of JB City, the famous Persiaran Meldrum, Segget Walk and the surrounding streets.

Nice place for walking and people watching.

Lots of budget backpacker’s lodge and it’s a lively place especially at night. You do not have to worry about safety as Johor’s finest police covers this area well.

Introducing another unique sight in JB, the elite motorcycle police team. In my opinion they are the celebrities of police force with good track records and a cool style in maintaining law and order in JB!

Initially I wanted to go all the way to the famous Senibong for seafood dinner but it was too far and I was running out of time so I settled for IT Roo Café.

A unique place for you to not only experience the best Chicken Chop in town (for me best in Malaysia) but also to experience the cool traditional ambience while having your meals.

My usual dish at IT Roo Café. The Chicken Chop.

Right after dinner, I made my way back to Senai Airport where the sexy ATR72-500 of Firefly Airlines was waiting to transport me back to Subang.

While it was not my first trip to Johor Bahru, the places that I visited in Part 1 and Part 2 have renewed my love towards the city. No doubt that these places are just a small part of interesting sights in Johor in general and Johor Bahru in particular. It is impossible to cover all the interesting places in Johor within two short days and the best way is still for you to get a ticket and fly to JB to experience a piece of Johor Bahru Experience!

Firefly Airlines fly 3 daily flights between Subang and Johor Bahru with attractive prices all year long. Head over to www.fireflyz.com.my for the latest promotion!

As what a Johorian once said to me… Jumpa awak di Johor Bahru ek!

 

As much as I love traveling to other countries, I still very much prefer to travel within Malaysia. In my opinion, Malaysians sometime overlook what we have on our own backyard and too often we make an assumption that we have seen it and done it all!

With the aim to revive the fun experience traveling in Malaysia, I am embarking on a series of local travel this year dubbed as “Azuan Explores the Backyard of Malaysia” series!

Kicking off the series is a 2 days 1 night trip to Johor Bahru (JB). JB may be relatively a small city compared to the busy KL city, but it’s bursting with history, attractions, good food and plenty ways for visitors of any age to get to know its charms and people. Below are just some of the things to do in JB for a travel experience you couldn’t have anywhere else.

After a comfortable 1-hour flight on board Firefly FY2141, I arrived at the Senai Airport, JB ready for my exploratory trip. Firefly has three daily flights to JB from Subang SkyPark.

The best way to explore JB and surrounding areas is to drive on your own, preferably with a local showing the way. Car rentals are available at the airport at an attractive rate. I was lucky enough to be able to convince my wife (who is originally from JB) and her family to be my tour guide in this exploratory trip.

Straight from the airport, we made our way to Desaru Beach, a beautiful tourist attraction located 98km north east of JB. While it may sound a bit far, the journey itself is a nice experience with the option of stopping at another attraction, the Kota Tinggi Waterfalls.

Kota Tinggi Waterfalls is a great place for family picnics! The waterfall, which is 36m high, originates from the top of Mount Panti. Try swimming at the base of the waterfall for a refreshing change from the hot weather. However the Kota Tinggi Waterfall was too crowded on this particular Saturday so I decided to continue my journey to Desaru.

After about a 90-minutes drive, we arrived in the quiet beach town of Desaru. This place used to be a very popular destination for tourists as well as locals. However over the years Desaru loses its charm mainly due to the accessibility factor.

It was just recently that many new developments have taken shape and Desaru is now set to regain its glory!

One of it is this all new refurbished, Lotus Desaru Resort.

An apartment beach resort with very affordable rates!

It was monsoon season so the sea was too rough for sports activities. The beauty about Desaru is that you can enjoy a resort with its own integrated water theme park! It was Saturday afternoon but there were not more than 15 visitors at the park.

I was a 10-year old kid on that day and had a bit too much fun!

We also had fun time having a nice picnic by the beach,

Right after that we were all set to explore the famous Johor Lama Fort and Fireflies.

Johor Lama first arose under the rule of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah circa 1540. You will still be able to see remnants of the historical settlement, though not as impressive as it once must have been.

(Photo courtesy of VirtualMalaysia.com)

I was excited to witness a piece of Johor history!

Unfortunately, Mother Nature has a different plan. It rains so heavily that we have to just cancel off the plans and drive back to JB City. A real bummer as Johor Lama and Fireflies were the real reasons I made the trip all the way to Desaru. I will be back definitely!

(Photo courtesy of VirtualMalaysia.com)Luckily when we reached JB City, the rain stopped allowing me for a late-night supper at Dataran Bandaraya Johor Bahru. This place was built on 1 January 1994 following the declaration of Johor Bahru as a city.

Famous for its delicious ‘low-budget steamboat’.

After stuffing out with all the good food, I made my way to enjoy the nightlife in JB. Of course there are plenty cool clubs, karaoke outlets and bars with live bands in JB City but I was too tired for an active night. So I decided to just enjoy a breezy night walk at Danga Bay.

At 12 midnight, the place was very much alive. Aimed to be a “must-visit” site in Johor, Danga Bay is Malaysia’s premier waterfront city and the largest recreational park in the city of Johor Bahru.

International food joints, night bazaar, live bands, fun fair carnival. All here at Danga Bay.

Cruise ship dinner anyone?

Petting Zoo at 12 midnight? Only n Danga Bay!

In for a drink?

A refreshing night walk with nice night view.

I was hoping that luck was on my side when I decided to try these fun fair games.

The only thing I won was a lot of laughter from my wife and passersby. It was fun nevertheless.

By the time I reach my accommodation, it was 2am in the morning. A long and tiring day in JB! It was exciting although not being able to visit Johor Lama ancient sites and Fireflies in Desaru was a big letdown. Day 2 turned out to be a better day with visits to the Royal Museum and more interesting sights and food! Trip report and photos will be in part 2 coming soon!

Thanks Firefly Airlines for making this trip to Johor Bahru possible. Visit Firefly Airlines at http://www.fireflyz.com.my